I check and send e-mail at least five times a day. Doing so while on the road can be a real challenge, though, since phones equipped with data ports cannot exactly be found on every street corner. A number of wireless devices that allow you to check and read e-mail finally make it much easier to do so.

Lots of options abound. They range from cellular phones to wireless PDAs to two-way e-mail and pager devices. When choosing among them, the most critical consideration is service. No matter how slick-looking the device, it won't be worth a heap of beans if you can't send or receive messages because of poor coverage. While this shouldn't be a showstopper since these devices are designed to be accessed when coverage is available, it can be quite inconvenient.

Unfortunately, I find coverage area maps only marginally useful as they only let you know if service is theoretically possible in a given region. Whether a service can truly be accessed in that area is best determined firsthand.

Device usability is also a key consideration. I've been testing a two-way e-mail device called the Blackberry from Research In Motion, which features a built-in mini-keyboard for typing messages. Despite the tiny keys, I find I can peck out a message more quickly than with other writing interfaces I have tried. Other questions to consider include: Is the screen large and bright enough to read e-mails? Can you sync your e-mails and your address book with your primary computer? Can you save draft e-mails?

Then there is the issue of what your e-mail address will be. Many cell phone and pager companies use your phone number in your e-mail address, e.g. 6175551212@pagerco.com. For those who don't relish the thought of sharing their cell phone number with the world, some companies offer alias user names where you can choose your own user name. The third option uses your corporate e-mail address for both sending and receiving, which is useful to a heavy e-mail user like myself who doesn't like coordinating e-mails across multiple addresses.

When it comes to receiving e-mails, you will be able to receive them either on demand via a modem-based PDA or continuously via a cell phone, pager, or two-way e-mail device. In addition, if you are using a two-way e-mail device, it may require a constant connection to the Internet like a cable modem or T1 line, and installing software to run on your computer desktop or as a server.

How much will it cost? Device costs can range from nothing to a few hundred dollars. Service costs generally range from $25 for a certain number of messages per month to $50 per month for unlimited messaging. For some versions of two-way e-mail devices, software fees in the $2,000 range may also be involved if you have a dedicated connection and want to support multiple employees.

Like the cell phone, fax machine, laptop, and overnight delivery, these wireless devices make staying away from work harder and harder. Like it or not, it's a wired, wired world.